I MPORTANT W ORDS Nonfiction

C ONNECTION We have learned how to determine what the author wants the reader to understand about a text. We have also learned how to think critically about the information presented in a text.

T EACHING P OINT Today we are going to continue to think critically about information in the text to determine some of the most important words related to the topic and what they mean.

T EACHING In a previous lesson, we read Reasons for the Revolution: What Made the Colonists So Mad, Anyway? and determined that the author wants the reader to understand the reasons for the Revolution. Understanding this purpose, helped us to set our own purpose for reading: What were some of the reasons that led to the American Revolution? As we read, we could monitor our understanding by looking for possible reasons.

One of the main ideas we noted for the cause of the Revolution was that the British government wanted to collect additional taxes and gain more control over the colonies. This upset the colonists. What are some of the most important words related to this concept? To answer this question, we can think about two types of words that would be important to use to convey this information. Domain-specific words are words that are specific to a topic. General academic words are words that could appear in all sorts of text.

I am going to begin with domain-specific words. As I look back over the text, Reasons for the Revolution: What Made the Colonists So Mad, Anyway? I want to think critically about what words specifically relate to the Revolution. Some words that I notice as I skim through the text are as follows: revolution, government, colonies, taxation, unconstitutional. These are all words that are necessary to describe the American Revolution.

Now, there are also other words that are helpful in conveying information about the American Revolution, but that you could also see in all sorts of text. These may be words that describe how the people involved in the revolution acted or ideas or concepts they disagreed over. I think this because these ideas could be associated with other situations besides the American Revolution. I am going to skim over the text again to look for these types of words. I notice the following words: defiance, liberties, boycott, rebellion, rift.

Now that I have determined the words that are important, I am going to use the Word Questioning graphic organizer to gain a deeper understanding of the words. Word Questioning You can create a Word Questioning Organizer by drawing boxes to form a web using the guidelines below. Text box in center - “Target word in context” 7 text boxes connected to the one in the center with the following: Are there parts of the word I recognize? I think this word means... It is... Is it not... How does this word fit with other words and concepts I know? When, where, and under what conditions might I find this word? What makes this an important word for me to know?

Revolution Are there parts of the word I recognize? Yes. “revolt” and “-tion” (What does revolt mean? Revolt means to rise up against the authority of a ruler or government. What does the suffix -tion mean? It means the act of.) I think this word means... The act of rising up against a government. It is.. a noun Is it not... a verb, an action How does this word fit with other words and concepts I know? Ik now revolt also means to feel disgust or shock. Maybe the colonists were disgusted with the British government. When, where, and under what conditions might I find this word? I might find this word when talking about a situation where people are not happy with the order of things and want to make a change. What makes this an important word for me to know? This is an important word for me to know because it explains the main concept. The American Revolution is the process of the colonists defying the British government to defend their rights.

A CADEMIC VOCABULARY Let’s look at a general academic word, defiance.

Defiance Are there parts of the word I recognize? defy, defiant I think this word means... the act of resisting an opposing authority. In the text, it says “ At this point, a complete break from England remained unimaginable, but a precedent for colonial defiance had been created.” Previously, in the text, the colonists had resisted obeying the Stamp Act, a measure taken by the British government to collect taxes on paper documents. It is... a nounIs it not... a verb, an action How does this word fit with other words and concepts I know? It reminds me of the word oppose. It fits in with the idea of blatantly not doing something you are supposed to or not following a rule. When, where, and under what conditions might I find this word? I might find this word when talking about a person or group of people who do not follow rules or law, who oppose expectations. What makes this an important word for me to know? This is an important word for me to know because it helps me understand the actions of the colonists during the time of the American Revolution.

By thinking critically, we can identify words that are important in conveying ideas about a topic. Taking time to reread the text surrounding the word and using a word questioning chart will help us better understand the word’s meaning and if the word is important to the topic.

G UIDED P RACTICE Now I’d like for you to work with your elbow buddy to complete a Word Questioning graphic organizer to gain a deeper understanding of a domain-specific or general academic word that is important in conveying information about the American Revolution. I will come around with an envelope containing words about the American Revolution. You and your elbow buddy will choose one word and complete a word map similar to the one we completed as a group.

L INK Today we learned how to use a Word Questioning graphic organizer to gain a deeper understanding of a word. As you read informational text, take time to think critically about vocabulary to determine if particular words are important in conveying information about a topic.